How to Teach A Mole To Swim
by Sort of Normal
Summary: Toph has a favor to ask. And ruling out all the others... It leaves only one person to help her. But will the firebender even consider her request?
1. How to Ask

How to teach a mole to swim.

Lesson one: How to ask.

&

Toph growled under her breath. She had the biggest urge to just turn around, go back to the camp and maybe even wrap herself up in a blanket of earth.

No! No she had made up her mind. She needed to know! She hated being weak and not being able to do something even if she was blind. She had half a mind to ask one of the others to help her but she thought better of it. Katara would be all 'It's too dangerous.' And baby her. Sokka… Well Sokka may not be too bad but she had her pride. She even considered Aang. But she was his master… not the other way around. And this was one of the biggest descions of her life.

Taking a deep breath the earthbender stepped up beside the tree and waited. She felt the earth move beneath his feet as he practiced his drills, over and over.

He heard her coming before he saw her. Stopping as he finished his last sequence the firebender turned to look at the dark haired girl. "What are you doing out here?" he asked throwing his shirt back over his head. "I thought you were supposed to be training Aang?"

Toph shurgged and plopped down on the boulder beside a nearby tree. "Sugar Queen took over."

Zuko raised his good eyebrow and looked at the girl. "And you just came down here?"

The Earth bender went silent and figetted on her hard seat. She felt the Fire prince eyes on her and she thanked the spirit realm that he didn't say anything. This was hard enough without pressure. Straitghting her back she opened her mouth but snapped it shut again as the words failed to come out. Toph felt her ears turn red as Zuko moved over and sat on the ground beside the rock.

The amber eyed male reached for his water skin and was about to take a drink out of it when Toph finally spoke. She jumped off the rock and sat on her knees beside the banished teen.

"Iwantyoutoteachmehowtoswim!"

Zuko's eyes went wide and he choked on his water. Spitting it out he spun his head to look at Toph. Deterimantion lined her face but he could also see the apprehension in her clouded eyes. "You want me to teach you?" he looked at her as he dried off his face. "To _swim_?"

Toph nodded.

Zuko waited a moment before shaking his head. "What brought this on? I heard you hate the water. It means you can't see." He watched carfully as she prused her lips in a thin line.

The earthbender waited for amoment, debating on wether or not to tell him."We were at the Serpent's Pass a while ago. I was fine until I fell into the water." A pause as Toph felt a couple of Rabbit hawks passed by. "I thought I was going to drown for sure." Toph explained her shoulders sagging. "But Snoozles girlfriend was there and she got me out. But-" She grit her teeth her hands clutching her pants in anger. "I felt totally _helpless_ and I couldn't do _anything_, I couldn't even keep myself afloat. **I hated it**."

Zuko watched the shame cross her face. He could tell it was hard for her to admit she couldn't do something and he greatly admired that she was doing so… expessically to him. She didn't meet his eyes but he knew that there was friece hatred burning in the whitish green orbs.

"You know you'd be totally blind right."

Toph nodded.

"You still want to learn?"

Another nod and Zuko sighed. "Fine. I'll teach you."

Toph raised her head starring at him in disbelief. "You will?"

"You expected me to say no?" Zuko asked getting to his feet. "It's a good thing for you to learn. Besides theres really no better time since we're near the water."

Toph bounced up from the ground a grimace on her face. "I'm probably going to regret this. But thanks." Maybe she had wished for him to say no. She felt like she was going to be sick just thinking of the water. She felt the firebender in front of her stop walking and turn to face her.

"Hey, why'd you ask me anyway? Why not the water peasent?" she heard him ask.

Toph shrugged knowing the reason but didn't feel like explaining it. "You just seemed like the logical choice is all." She started walking and Zuko followed beside her. As the reached the end of the clearing she reached out and punched Zuko's arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"He snapped angerily.

Toph looked at him, not really seeing him. "You better not let me drown do you hear me?!"

"I'm not going to let you drown Toph."

&

Well theres the first chapter. It's not yet, but it will probably end up being Toko. I got this strange idea while I was at the public pool and I saw this mom trying to teach her kid how to swim. So I'm like. Oh idea, lol. So heres the first chapter. Even if it's not very long it should prove amusing. Thanks for reading.


	2. How To Start

How to Teach a Mole to Swim.

Lesson Two: How to Start

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"I'm not going to let you drown Toph." Zuko stated his hands on his hips.

It was almost mid-day and he was knee deep in water... cold water and Toph hadn't even put a toe in yet.

"I've changed my mind! This was a bad idea!"

Zuko sighed; the morning had started out much better. They had woken up early and headed out trough the forest towards the small little beach that sat, unused, beside two large cliffs. They had gotten there quiet a while ago and Zuko could see the agitation on Tophs face. Something had told him... maybe it was his gut instinct… that told him this would prove to be a very, very difficult experience.

"Seriously! Bad Idea!" Toph shouted as she turned around and darted back for the trees.

Zuko clenched his fist trying to hold back his anger. He watched as Toph was almost halfway up the beach before he crouched down and punched out before waving his hand in a circle and letting a rope of fire block Tophs way.

Toph growled as she stopped just short of the flames. Bending her knees she pushed the air sending a wave of sand out to smother the fire. She was about to take off running again when she felt an arm wrap around her waist.

Zuko picked the struggling child up, off the ground and, watching out for her flailing limbs, carried her back to the water.

"I swear I'm going to kill you! Put me down this instant Sparky! Or I'm going to shove an Earth Spire so far up your as-Ahhh" Toph yelped as Zuko gave her a jostle pretending to drop her.

"You keep swinging your arms like that and I am going to drop you." Zuko muttered barely dodging Toph's leg. As if to prove his point, Zuko moved out into the deeper part of the water.

As soon as Toph felt the liquid on her foot she froze for a moment, before a mad scramble ensued and she ended up sitting on Zuko's shoulders her arms and legs wrapped around his head.

They stood like that for a moment before the fire prince took pity on the smaller girl and waded back into the shallow end. He held up his hands to hold her steady as he spoke. "When you asked me to teach you how to swim, did you even want to learn?" he asked looking up as Toph didn't move.

The girl nodded. "I just don't like not being able to see."

"You're blind you do realize?"

She elbowed him in the side of the head. "Shut up. I meant not having any vibrations at all." Toph's grip on his head loosened and Zuko reached up to pull her away from him. The firebender put her down and felt her twitch as her feet hit water for a moment before landing on the sand beneath it.

"See it's not that deep. How about we just get you used to the water first before you learn to swim?" Zuko offered.

Toph nodded but hugged his arm to her like a life raft. She didn't care how deep it was, she was not taking any chances and he never said anything about letting go of him.

Zuko raised an eyebrow looking down at her; she did the exact same thing as Azula had done when she was younger, hanging off of him when they went vacationing at Ember Island. He would let her grab his arm and Zuko would swing her around in the water their parents watching happily.

But those days had long past, and memories of when Azula wasn't trying to kill or undo him in some way, were hard to come by.

& &

"You know, this isn't too bad." Toph muttered as she walked slowly in a circle around Zuko whose arm she was still holding, causing him to spin in one spot.

"You still able to use the sand to see?" Zuko asked as he readjusted his footing to keep from falling over in the water.

Toph nodded kicking up some sand to prove her point, watching the ocean currents take it away before it landed further out to sea."It's more compact then the sand on the shore. It gives me vibrations better."

Zuko watched the brown cloud of sand before he raised an eyebrow an idea washing over him. The Earthbender attached to his arm looked up at him when she felt his feet move in the sand.

"What is it?" She asked looking up to him.

"Just a thought." he replied before looking down at her. "Time to learn how to float."

Toph stiffened a grimace on her face. "Do we have to?"

"Look at it this way. Even if you do chicken out on actually learning _how_ to swim, you won't be totally useless if you fall into the water and you'll be able to float long enough for one of us to save you." The firebender smirked knowing just the right buttons to push.

The black haired girl growled and stood her ground. "So make me float!"

And that's exactly what he did. Kicking a foot out, he tripped the younger girl and placed his right hand on her back, before pushing her stomach upwards.

Toph yelped as what little sight she had in the water left her and her hand shot out to grab the front of the thing shirt Zuko wore into the water. "Hey, you could warn a person before you do something like that you know!" she shouted as she tried to put her feet back on ground.

"Just stop fidgeting and you'll be fine. I'm not going to let go of you." _Yet._ Zuko added in his head as he switched his right hand for his left on the spot on Tophs back. He felt like a servant carrying a tray. A noisy-twelve-year-old dish that liked to squirm when you tried to balance it.

"I can't see." Toph stated solemnly as a small wave crashed on her foot.

Zuko sighed. "That's because you're not touching he ground."

"I don't like it."

"Suffer."

&&

So I finished up the next chapter and I was going to wait to post it but I decided against it. I don't know how much of a plot this story is going to end up having but I'll try and make something interesting happen.

I'm glad for the reviews. I've heard they're like Jell-O, life-blood for writers. –smiles- Thank you everyone!


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